Method of installing a fuel pump over a crankcase opening



July 12, 1966 J. A. MARSICANO 3,259,967

METHOD OF INSTALLING A FUEL PUMP OVER A CRANKCASE OPENING Original FiledFeb. 20, 1964 United States Patent 3,259,967 METHOD OF INSTALLING A FUELPUMP OVER A CRANKCASE OPENING Joseph A. Marsicano, 735 Schwabe St.,Freeland, Pa. Continuation of abandoned application Ser. No. 346,212,Feb. 20, 1964. This application Aug. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 482,228

2 Claims. (Cl. 29-401) This application is a continuation of applicationSerial No. 346,212, filed February 20, 1964, now abandoned, and relatesto a process for installing a fuel pump exteriorly of and over avertically-elongated opening formed in the sidewall of a crankcase.

In installing fuel pumps on internal combustion engines, wherein thefuel pumps are actuated by engine cam shaft driven push rods, removal ofpumps and the replacement thereof is accompanied by displacement of thepush rods, out of contact with the cam shafts, and out of alignment withthe lever arms of the pumps. Because of the relatively small sizes ofthe openings in the engine crankcases, through which the pump armsoperate, it has heretofore been a diificult and time-consumingoperation, in replacing a fuel pump, to restore and/ or to hold a pushrod in contact with the cam shaft and in line with the pump arm, andvarious expedients have been in use for this purpose.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of aprocess for installing a fuel pump on a crankcase wherein a simple andeffective tool is employed which is adapted to be passed through thecrankcase wall opening for retaining a hold on the push rod, until thepump has been replaced over the opening and its screws have been startedin their threaded openings, whereat the tool is adapted to bemanipulated to engage one end of .the push rod with the cam shaft and toengage its other end with the pump arms, and then be withdrawn.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view, partly broken away and in section, showinga tool of the present invention extending through an opening in the wallof an engine crankcase and gripping a cam shaft operated push rod, thelatter being shown in full and in phantom lines in engaged anddisengaged relationships to a fuel pump in mounted and dismountedpositions;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan Niew of the tool, per se, showing its grip on thepush rod, shown in section;

FIGURE 3 .is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 3--3 ofFIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the tool.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 1%) designates an enginecam shaft, with which is operatively-engaged one end of a push rod 12,work-ing through a bore 14, of a crankcase 15 having a sidewall 16. Thesidewall 16 is formed with a vertically-elongated opening 18, throughwhich works the upwardly spring-pressed lever arm 20 of a fuel pump 22.

While the opening 18 is taller than the arm 20, it is not substantiallywider than the pump arm. The fuel pump 22 has a lateral mounting flange25, usually equipped with mounting screws (not shown), which is adaptedto bear against the exterior surface of the crankcase sidewall 16,around the opening 18, as shown in phantom lines in FIGURE 1, in theinstalled portion of the pump.

In the operation of removing or dismounting the fuel pump 22, as shownin full lines in FIGURE -1, the crankcase sidewall opening 18 isuncovered, and the pump arm 20 is withdrawn out of contact with the pushrod 12, so that, unless some extraneous means is employed, the push IOCldrops out of contact with the cam shaft 10.

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In attempting to remount a repaired or replacement [fuel pump 22, thedifliculties mentioned hereinabove, in connection with the displacedcondition of the push rod 10, are eliminated by the use of a tool 26 ofthe present invention.

The tool 26 comprises an elongated rod 28, provided on one end, with alongitudinal handle 30. The other end of the rod 28 is flattened, asindicated at 32, and terminates in a flat head 34, which is wider thanthe rod.

The head 34 comprises a pair of similar, laterally-spaced and opposedresilient fingers 36, which have substantially one-quarter circularconcave inner edge portions 38, of substantially the same curvature asthe surface of the push rod 10. The inner edge portions 38 merge, attheir outer ends, into flat plane outer edge portions 40. The outer edgeportions 40 terminate in outwardly-beveled cam terminals 42.

The fingers 36 are spaced from each other, at a distance less than thediameter of the push rod 10, so that, to attain a gripping relation ofthe fingers against opposite sides of the push rod, it is necessary,after reaching the head 34 through the crankcase sidewall opening 18, topush the beveled terminals 42 against the push rod so as to spread thefingers and put the curved inner edge portions 38 of the fingers intoconforming and gripping relation to the push rod.

In order to provide for the necessary resilience of the fingers 36,despite the relatively thick gauge of the head 34, a longitudinal slot44 is centered between the fingers, which opens to the adjacent ends ofthe inner edge portions 38.

In order that the rod 28 of the tool 26 avoid obstructive contact withthe fuel pump 22, as it is manipulated relative to the crankcasesidewall 16 and the opening 18, the rod has anirregularly-upwardly-bowed clearance portion between the handle 30 andthe head 34. As shown in FIGURE 1, the rod 28 has, adjacent to thehandle 30, a relatively sharply upwardly-bowed rear portion 46, whichoccupies about one-third of the length of the rod 28, and .a relativelyflatly-bowed forward end portion 48, which takes up about two-thirds ofthe length of the rod. The head 34 is located in the plane of theadjacent part of the rod portion 48.

In carrying out the process for installing the fuel pump 22 on thecrankcase 15 with the push rod 12 in the released position, thedotted-line position in FIGURE 1, the tool 26 is inserted through theopening 18 in the sidewall 16 of the crankcase 15 so that the head 34 isadjacent the push rod 12 with the bowed portion of the rod 28 of thetool 26 inverted and extending through and contacting the upper portionof the opening 18 and the handle 30 exteriorly of and outwardly of theopening 18, whereupon the handle 30 is manipulated so as to, in turn,cause the push rod 12 to be received within the groove between thefingers 36 and be removably and lockingly embraced by the fingers 36 andelevate the lower end of the push rod 12 to a position opposite to andwithin the area defined by the opening 18, as clearly shown in fulllines in FIGURE 1. While the tool 26 is holding the push rod 12 in theelevated position the pump 22 is positioned exteriorly of the crankcase15 so that the lever arm 20 projects through the opening 18 and the freeend of the lever arm 20 is located below and adjacent the elevated pushrod 12 with the mounting flange 24 below the bowed portion of the rod 28of the tool 26 and having its lower portion abutting against thecrankcase 15 adjacent the opening 18 with its upper portion leaning awayfrom the crankcase 15, as clearly shown in full lines in FIGURE 1. Whilethe pump 22 is thus positioned, the flange 24 is partially attached tothe sidewall 16 of the crankcase 15. With the pump 22 thus partiallyattached to the sidewall 16 of the Patented July 12, 1966 p crankcase15, the handle 30 of the tool 26 is manipulated so as to detach thefingers 36 from the push rod 12 and withdraw the head 34 and theadjacent part of the bowed portion of the tool 26 through the opening 18and permit the lower end of the push rod 12 to seat upon the free end ofthe lever arm 20. With the tool 26 withdrawn, the flange 24 is shiftedso as to completely bridge the opening and abut against the adjacentportion of the sidewall 16 of the crankcase 15, the position shown indotted lines in FIGURE 1, and the complete attachment of the flange 24to the sidewall 16 of the crankcase 15 is thus effected.

What is claimed is:

1. The process for installing a fuel pump exteriorly of and over avertically-elongated opening formed in the sidewall of a crankcase inwhich there is a working push rod, the pump carrying a mounting flangeand having an upwardly spring-pressed lever arm, which comprisesproviding a tool including an elongated rod having a forward end onwhich there is a head and having a rear end on which there is a handlewith the portion of the rod between the head and handle irregularlybowed, the head being provided with a pair of laterally-spaced andopposed fingers with a groove therebetween and opening to the free endsof the fingers, inserting the tool through the opening so that the headis adjacent the push rod with the bowed portion inverted and extendingthrough and contacting the upper portion of the opening in the crankcaseand the handle exteriorly of and outwardly of the opening, manipulatingthe handle so as to, in turn, cause the push rod to be received withinthe groove and be removably and lockingly embraced by the fingers andelevate the lower end of the push rod to a position opposite to andwithin the area defined by the opening, positioning the pump extriorlyof the crankcase so that the lever arm projects through the opening andthe free end of the lever arm is: located below and adjacent theelevated push rod with the,

mounting flange below the bowed portion of the tool and having its lowerportion abutting against the crankcase adjacent the opening with itsupper portion leaning away from the crankcase while the tool is holdingthe push rod in the elevated position, partially attaching the lowerabutting portion of the flange to the sidewall of the crank-,

case, manipulating the handle of the tool so astto detach the fingersfrom the push rod and withdraw the head and adjacent part of the bowedportion of the tool through the opening and permit the lower end of thepush rod to seat upon the free end of the lever arm, shifting the flangeso as to completely bridge the opening and abut against the adjacentportion of the sidewall of the crankcase, and completing the attachmentof the flange to the sidewall of the crankcase.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the base wall of the groovebetween the opposed fingers on the head of the tool has a longitudinalslot extending inwardly thereof,

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS JOHN F. CAMPBELL,Primary Examiner. THOMAS H. EAGER, Assistant Examiner.

1. THE PROCESS FOR INSTALLING A FUEL PUMP EXTERIORLY OF AND OVER AVERTICALLY-ELONGATED OPENING FORMED IN THE SIDEWALL OF A CRANKCASE INWHICH THERE IS A WORKING PUSH ROD, THE PUMP CARRYING A MOUNTING FLANGEAND HAVING AN UPWARDLY SPRING-PRESSED LEVER ARM, WHICH COMPRISESPROVIDING A TOOL INCLUDING AN ELONGATED ROD HAVING A FORWARD END ONWHICH THERE IS A HEAD AND HAVING A REAR END ON WHICH THERE IS A HANDLEWITH THE PORTION OF THE ROD BETWEEN THE HEAD AND HANDLE IRREGULARLYBOWED, THE HEAD BEING PROVIDED WITH A PAIR OF LATERALLY-SPACED ANDOPPOSED FINGERS WITH GROOVE THEREBETWEEN AND OPENING TO THE FREE ENDS OFTHE FINGERS, INSERTING THE TOOL THROUGH THE OPENING SO THAT THE HEAD ISADJACENT THE PUSH ROD WITH THE BOWED PORTION INVERTED AND EXTENDINGTHROUGH AND CONTACTING THE UPPER PORTION OF THE OPENING IN THE CRANKCASEAND THE HANDLE EXTERIORLY OF AND OUTWARDLY OF THE OPENING, MANIPULATINGTHE HANDLE SO AS TO, IN TURN, CAUSE THE PUSH ROD TO BE RECEIVED WITHINTHE GROOVE AND BE REMOVABLY AND LOCKINGLY EMBRACED BY THE FINGERS ANDELEVATE THE LOWER END OF THE BUSH ROD TO A POSITION OPPOSITE TO ANDWITHIN THE AREA DEFINED BY THE OPENING, POSITIONING THE PUMP EXTRIORLYOF THE CRANKCASE SO THAT THE LEVER ARM PROJECTS THROUGH THE OPENING ANDTHE FREE END OF THE LEVER ARM IS LOCATED BELOW AND ADJACENT THE ELEVATEDPUSH ROD WITH THE MOUNTING FLANGE BELOW THE BOWED PORTION OF THE TOOLAND HAVING ITS LOWER PORTION ABUTTING AGAINST THE CRANKCASE ADJACENT THEOPENING WITH ITS UPPER PORTION LEANING AWAY FROM THE CRANKCASE WHILE THETOOL IS HOLDING THE PUSH ROD IN THE ELEVATED POSITION, PARTIALLYATTACHING THE LOWER ABUTTING PORTION OF THE FLANGE TO THE SIDEWALL OFTHE CRANKCASE, MANIPULATING THE HANDLE OF THE TOOL SO AS TO DETACH THEFINGERS FROM THE PUSH ROD AND WITHDRAW THE HEAD AND ADJACENT PART OF THEBOWED PORTION OF THE TOOL THROUGH THE OPENING AND PERMIT THE LOWER ENDOF THE PUSH ROD TO SEAT UPON THE FREE END OF THE LEVER ARM, SHIFTING THEFLANGE SO AS TO COMPLETELY BRIDGE THE OPENING AND ABUT AGAINST THEADJACENT PORTION TO THE SIDEWALL OF THE CRANKCASE, AND COMPLETING THEATTACHMENT OF THE FLANGE TO THE SIDEWALL OF THE CRANKCASE.